I’m looking for a doctor and it hasn’t been easy. I don’t need a Lyme doctor, just a doctor I can go to without fear of being prescribed medication for every ailment or told my cholesterol is bad because I eat eggs and butter.
For years I’ve avoided the medical community because I disagreed with their philosophy. I prefer to use food, herbs, homeopathic remedies and supplements to heal my body.
I don’t want to have to explain why I believe I have chronic Lyme disease or get that draw dropping look of confusion when I say the word “co-infection”.
I want a doctor who aligns with my desire to treat holistically and who will guide me in my usage of herbs and supplements. It’s been really hard to find a primary physician in my new hometown and I really just want to know, where are all the good doctors?
Today, I had an appointment with a very young, as in I could be his mother, doctor who was a little bit too smug for my liking. I don’t know about you but as a Mom, I have a difficult time not “mothering” people like that if you know what I mean.
Several times I politely told him that I was not answering his questions even if they were on the medical questionnaire. I’m not sure why they have such personal questions included which I believe are irrelevant to my treatment, absolutely none of his business and obviously, have nothing to do with my shoulder pain.
It’s nice to be old enough to know that I don’t have to fill out a form just because they hand it to me.
The doctor proceeded to smugly suggest I take a multi-vitamin instead of the specific supplements I’ve chosen, for very specific reasons mind you, with the help of a friend who is in the medical field. I wouldn’t have minded his suggestion but I did mind his attitude.
I left there disappointed, frustrated and quite a bit irritated and he even wants me to come back for a physical.
[bctt tweet=”People who have Lyme disease are often dismissed by their doctors. #lymedisease #lymeawareness” username=”aboundinginhope”]
On average it takes 2 years or more to find out that you have Lyme.
This is because of the inaccurate testing and ignorance on the doctor’s part which most of them can’t help, they’re not being trained or educated.
Lyme most often goes misdiagnosed as RA, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, MS, Lupus, Alzheimer’s and even Parkinson’s.
While I could make an appointment with a functional medical doctor, it would be another out of pocket expense for me that quite frankly doesn’t fit my depleted Lyme budget. Chronic Lyme expenses are not covered by insurance, especially if you’re using alternative medicine.
According to Dr. Zhang of the CDC, the average cost per person to treat late stage (chronic) Lyme disease is $10,343 per year.*
This cost includes direct and indirect medical costs as well nonmedical costs and loss of productivity.
I’ve learned a long time ago to put the effort into finding a doctor I can trust and talk to, otherwise, I’ll never go. So, I will continue to be on the lookout for another doctor, a doctor with a better bedside manner and a doctor who is supportive in treating more holistically.
What is the most important quality when you look for a doctor?
For Further Reading
Thank you Tina!
Praying over you and your search for a good one. I wish insurance would cover holistic health practitioners.